To trust or not to trust: a model for effectively governing public-private partnerships

Abstract

In this article, we explain the critical role of trust in the effective management of public-private partnerships (P3s). Through a literature review of P3 management and a case study of developing and applying a social audit model to an agricultural biotechnology project in sub-Saharan Africa, we demonstrate how distrust undermines the effectiveness of P3s and the added value of building trust in such projects. The principles of the model and outcomes of improved transparency, management, and accountability in the project are described. We explain how the model and lessons learned from its application to the agricultural biotechnology project are transferable to effective management practices and trust-building in other P3s.